September 2013

Greetings from Camden Yards for the Orioles last game of the season. Has it truly hit anyone yet?

*In pretty obvious news, Chris Davis was named the Most Valuable Oriole and he will be presented with that award –on his own bobblehead day– prior to the game. Davis joked he was just tired of watching Adam Jones –the winner the past two years– take home MVO every year and figured he’d do his best to try to dethrone him.

The list of accomplishments with Davis is a long one and I’ll have a full story up on Orioles.com with his quotes and stats. But, from a beat reporter perspective dealing with Chris day-in, day-out has been remarkably easy and a real pleasure. The media attention was obviously overwhelming at times, even on the road, but Davis handled it all gracefully and always had time to talk, while keeping things loose. He said today the full extent of what he’s done this season hasn’t hit him yet, and I think that’s true for most baseball fans, who will look back on this 2013 with awe. It was pretty cool to watch from February on.

Davis got every first-place but one, with Jones coming in second and Manny Machado third place. Chris Tillman, who I slotted in third instead of Machado, also recieved some votes.

Greetings from Camden Yards, as the Orioles get ready for their second to last game of the season. The bench dwindles by the day, with manager Buck Showalter saying today that Michael Morse has been shut down with a left wrist injury that he was made aware of several days ago.

Morse will go see Dr. Brian Schofield in Sarasota, Fla. and then get a second opinion from the Mayo clinic and decide whether surgery is necessary.

Jonathan Schoop is also not available today as the rookie infielder came in today a little sore and Showalter said could have tweaked something in his back.

Showalter also said he’s leaning toward starting Chris Tillman still on Sunday, since the right-hander wants to pitch.

Manny Machado will get a second opinion on his left knee from Dr. James Andrews in Gulf Breeze, Fla. on Monday. Right now, the plan is for Machado to rest and rehab back in time for Spring Training without surgery.RED SOX LINEUP
Shane Victorino CF
J.D. Drew SS
Dustin Pedroia 2B
Mike Napoli DH
Jonny Gomes LF
Daniel Nava RF
Brandon Snyder 1B
Cody Ross C
Will Middlebrooks 3b

*In case you missed it, Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said today that closer Jim Johnson will be back in 2014. The organization plans to tender Johnson –due a hefty raise– a contract and you can read more on that here.

*Chris Davis is back in the lineup and Chris Tillman will start Sunday’s finale, with the Orioles posting up and trying to be as competitive as possible against a Boston club competing with Oakland for the American League’s best record.

*I mentioned earlier this week that agent Scott Boras was in town to take in the Orioles game and Duquette said the two had an “informal meeting” as the O’s turn their attention toward next year. Boras represents several Orioles, including Chris Davis and Matt Wieters.

Closer Jim Johnson –one of several Orioles who will be getting a big raise in arbitration this winter– will be offered a contract for 2014, executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said prior to Friday’s game.

“Jim Johnson is one of our core players,” said Duquette, who has stressed keeping that core intact for the organization to sustain success. “Jimmy has done something historic in terms of the numbers of games he’s saved over the last couple years, so he’s established significant value. He came into the job last year, I think he had nine saves in his career and over the last two years he has over 100, 99.”

Johnson picked up his American League-leading 48th save on Thursday night and he could earn a bump up to the $8-9 million range, despite nine blown saves, which is the most in baseball. An All-Star in 2012, Johnson hit several rough patches this season, leading to some speculation that he could be a non-tender or trade candidate, but Duquette confirmed he is in the organization’s future plans.

“I think Johnson has established himself as a top closer in the business,” Duquette said. When you look at the top save rates in the league, he’s right up there.”

Johnson became the first Oriole to record two 40-save seasons last month and he set a club record with 35 consecutive conversions from July 30, 2012-May 10, 2013. The 29-year-old right made $6.5 in 2013, a significant jump up from the $2.625 the year prior, with the two sides agreeing to middle ground (Johnson’s camp requested $7.1 million and the Orioles countered with $5.7 million) on the deal this winter.

Greetings from Camden Yards, where the Orioles –eliminated from postseason contention last night– have a different lineup for tonight’s game. Jonathan Schoop will be making his Major League debut with Jason Pridie joining the club and placing in place of Adam Jones, who has started every game this year and played all 162 in 2012.

The last time Jones didn’t start for Baltimore? September 25, 2011, which is a span of 311 consecutive games.

*T.J. McFarland will leave the team tomorrow but return before the game to tend to a personal matter. McFarland will also play winter ball for Venezuela to catch up on his innings, manager Buck Showalter said.

*Chris Dickerson had an MRI on his right hamstring today, which has been bothering him for a while, and was part of the reason the club added Pridie. They created a 40-man roster spot by putting Manny Machado on the 60-day DL.

*Chris Tillman could make his final start on Sunday, the club is still mulling things over, and Showalter said he will rely partly on input from Tillman. The Orioles will try to present the most competitive front possible this weekend, with the Red Sox competing with the A’s for the best record. Showalter said Tsuyoshi Wada is probably not an option to pitch that game if Tillman doesn’t.

The Orioles received good news on third baseman Manny Machado Tuesday evening, with an MRI revealing no ACL or MCL damage but a medial patellofemoral ligament tear in his left knee and a recovery timetable of 6-8 weeks.

Machado, who will get a second opinion, will go the rest and rehab route and be re-evaluated in four weeks which should allow time for a minor surgical procedure if things aren’t moving along. He is expected to be ready in time for Spring Training, with head athletic trainer Richie Bancells pointing out that the position players doesn’t need to be ready until mid-March.

The news is very good considering the initial injury, which ended with Machado being rolled off in a stretcher to a standing ovation from the crowd at Tropicana Field. The 21-year-old hit a hit a one-out single in the top of the seventh inning Monday against the Rays and his left leg hit the first-base bag awkwardly, causing him to immediately fall down to the ground writhing in pain. The O’s trainers came out after first-base coach Wayne Kirby signaled, and Machado stayed on the ground, screaming in pain. The Rays’ team physician also came out to look over Machado before the group gingerly placed him on the stretcher.

Machado was at Camden Yards on Tuesday, but not made available to the media. The youngster had started every game at third base for the Orioles since his debut Aug. 9, 2012 and the knee issue isn’t completely foreign for Machado, who hyper-extended his left kneecap two years ago in the Minor Leagues.

The medial patellofemoral ligament is located on the inside of the kneecap and keeps it from dislocating laterally.

*No word on Manny Machado’s MRI on his left knee, although manager Buck Showalter was pretty optimistic about it today, saying that the initial feeling –based off the radiologist’ reading– is it’s not as bad as they thought. The team is waiting on team orthopedist Dr. John Wilckens to read the MRI, and I should have news on that shortly. Machado is expected to be at Camden Yards tonight and Showalter said he’s confident the 21-year-old will be a player for the Orioles early next season.

*Alexi Casilla was in the Orioles clubhouse when it opened and he actually traveled back with the team last night, instead of the original plan to stay in a Tampa Bay area hospital for monitoring. Casilla, who politely asked for the camera lights to not be used, is still foggy and said he had no memory of the collision play or staying in the game. Showalter, who left Casilla in to finish the inning, chided himself again today for keeping him in and said the infielder “sold it well” that he was OK. Casilla will not play tonight and will have to clear a bunch of MLB tests to be deemed OK to take the field, so there’s a good chance he’s done for the season as well.BLUE JAYS LINEUP
Jose Reyes SS
Munenori Kawasaki DH
Brett Lawrie 3B
Adam Lind 1B
Moises Sierra RF
Anthony Gose CF
J.P. Arencibia C
Ryan Goins 2B
Kevin Pillar LF

ST. PETERSBURG– The struggling Orioles are expected to be without Manny Machado the remainder of the season as the third baseman exited Monday’s 5-4 loss to the Rays with a left knee injury that resulted in him being carted off the field.

“Manny’s pretty down, as you can imagine,” manager Buck Showalter said of the 21-year-old Machado, who had an X-Ray taken immediately at Tropicana Field and will have more tests, including an MRI, done in Baltimore Tuesday. “Somehow, they couldn’t get the [X-Ray] film developed here after they took the pictures. Doctors weigh in on something they shouldn’t be, quite frankly. I’ve heard some early prognosis, but I think they should wait until they get all the tests back. Everybody needs to be quick to paint something negatively.

“But Manny will play for the Baltimore Orioles again at a very high level and I’m real proud of him. Unfortunately, things happen when you’re playing a game at breakneck speed like these guys try to again today.”

Machado hit a one-out, seventh-inning single to second base and his left leg hit the first-base bag awkwardly and he immediately fell down to the ground writhing in pain. The Orioles’ trainers came out after first-base coach Wayne Kirby signaled and the 21-year-old Machado stayed on the ground, screaming in pain. The Rays’ team physician also came out to look over Machado, who was loaded onto a stretcher and wheeled off to a standing ovation from the crowd.

“I just hurt for him,” said Brian Roberts, who served at designated hitter and was able to come in in-between innings and give Machado a hug. “You don’t want to see it happen to anybody but when you see what kind of special player he is and special kid he is. But the great part is, he is 21 years old. You’ve got to find a bright spot in it as best you can. You hate to hear people say – certainly the injured person hates to hear people say – he’ll come back and he’ll be fine and this and that. But they’re not the ones going through rehab and not the ones dealing with it.”

Roberts was part of an Oriole dugout, along with the Rays, that stood anxiously leaning against the railing in silence. One of the game’s most promising young players, Machado was named to the American League All-Star team in his first full season and has started all 156 of Baltimore’s games, giving the club Gold Glove-caliber defense and hitting an American League-leading 51 doubles. He owns a .283/.314/.432 line.

“That’s horrible. Baltimore has really ascended over the last couple years and he’s really been a cornerstone of that whole thing,” said Rays manager Joe Maddon, who speculated that Machado had possibly blown out his knee. “I hate to see that. He’s a young man, tremendous talent. I don’t know him that well, but I think he’s got a great joy for the game also. So you hate to see that happen.”

While Showalter wasn’t willing to publicly end Machado’s season on Monday night, with six games remaining the Orioles –who suffered their fifth consecutive defeat—have their postseason hopes waning and the O’s skipper acknowledged getting their third baseman back “doesn’t look very promising.”

“I was first hoping that he had turned his ankle. Unfortunately, I had a pretty good angle of it,” Showalter said of the injury, which preceded Alexi Casilla’s head-on collision in the outfield.

“Certainly it hurts. It hurts, regardless of what it means for our team and our ability to win a game. That’s kind of secondary. That’s a guy who’s been with us, in the big leagues, for over a year and a half, it seems like. A season and a half. And Casi’s as good a teammate as you’ll ever have. Manny obviously has been a solid person for us as well as obviously having a great year. He’s having as good a year as you could possibly as for, especially for a young player.”

Machado, who was replaced by Casilla and then Danny Valencia, leaves the Orioles a sizable hole at third base and Showalter said he would discuss things with executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette before determining if the club needs to add another infielder before Tuesday’s game.

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